Tim Clancy rides a public bike on the Bai Causeway in the West Lake scenic area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on April 13. [Photo by Huang Zongzhi/Xinhua]

Tim Clancy, an Australian national who has lived in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province for six years, took one of his friends for a tour around the city without cash on April 14.

Clancy operates four companies in the city. He is married to a Hangzhou native, has a good command of the Chinese language and has assimilated well into the local life in Hangzhou.

Clancy and his friend had a wonderful day out eating, shopping and travelling, all done with just a smart phone. Clancy said he likes Hangzhou for its convenient lifestyle and the ability to do a lot of things without carrying cash.

Hangzhou, known for its splendid West Lake, is now growing into China's largest city for mobile payments. Statistics from Ant Financial, a subsidiary of Zhejiang-based Alibaba Group, said more than 95 percent of the city's supermarkets and convenience stores, over 98 percent of Hangzhou's taxies and most stalls along the city's streets accept mobile payments.

Tickets for some bus lines and Hangzhou metro can also be bought via Alipay or through other mobile payment methods. Additionally, people are able to pay for a number of utility services via an online public platform, which to date has amounted to a total exceeding 4.5 billion yuan ($653.5 million).